These two books are often overlooked when it comes to Bible readings, but they are significant in different ways.

1. Three sections of these books (Ezra 1-6, 7-10, Nehemiah 1-7) have the same pattern. Explain.
2. How is the last section (Nehemiah 8-13) different from the previous three?
3. How are Persian kings portrayed—good? bad? Explain why.
4. How are immediate neighboring officials seen—good? bad? Give examples.
5. Parts of the books seem harsh. See Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13:23-28. Can you justify these attitudes, considering the people’s conditions at the time?
6. Nehemiah is often studied for principles of leadership. Give some examples.
7. Two walls are built here—Nehemiah focuses on a physical one. What type of wall does Ezra deal with?
8. Why are so many in these stories clearly labeled as good or bad? What does that suggest about how the author sees the struggle here?
9. The book of Nehemiah is told in first person, meaning the author is telling about what happened to him; he is part of the story. What would be the strengths and weaknesses of telling a story in this way? Do you remember reading other famous stories or novels told in this way?
10. The people are seen as complex and ambiguous; they are sometimes good, sometimes bad. See Ezra 9:1/10:12, Nehemiah 5:1-5, 6:17-19, 13:15-22, 13:23-28, and compare Nehemiah 3:4,30 with 6:18. How are the people shown here?
11. The story has two major themes—the importance of the reconstruction of the temple and the spiritual state of the people. You can see the first theme in Ezra 1:1-Nehemiah 6:19 and the second theme in Nehemiah 7:1-13:31. How does each section conclude? Before you answer, read Nehemiah 6:17-19 and Nehemiah 13:4-31 closely. What do these passages seem to suggest about the people and their future?

1. Does the author spend more time with the good kings or the bad ones? Why?
2. The author gives a slightly different picture of some people and events than we saw in Kings. Compare the two stories of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28, 2 Kings 16), and Hezekiah and the invasion of Assyria (2 Chronicles 32, 2 Kings 18-20).
3. The story of Manasseh is quite different. Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 and 2 Kings 21. Why do you suppose there is a different view of him here?
4. As in all literature, it’s important to consider the audience for the text. How would a group of exiles be approached as far as their country’s history? Does Chronicles follow this idea?
5. Does Chronicles give a more or less positive view of David than we saw in Samuel?
6. Does Chronicles give a more or less positive view of Solomon than we saw in Kings?
7. Why would the author approach the lives of these two men differently than the other books did?
8. The plot appears to be organized around the kings of the nation rather than strict chronology. Why? What does that seem to say about how the author feels about kingship?
9. Why is there a focus on Judah rather than the northern tribes of Israel?
10. The author uses an interesting plot device in which parts of a story are put next to other parts to form a parallel structure. For example, look at the narrative of Asa’s reign in 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14. How does one half of the entire story (14:1-15:19) parallel the second half of material (16:1-14)? Notice that the parallel is one of exact opposites—explain.

1. What are some good and bad characteristics of Solomon?
2. What caused the split between the two parts of the nation?
3. Why did the northern and southern kingdoms fall—was it the same reason or different ones?
4. What sources were used for this story? See 1 Kings 11:41, 1 Kings 14:19, 1 Kings 14:29. Is it useful for a historian to use multiple sources? Explain.
5. Note the information on all kings discussed. Is it fair? Is it selective? For example, see how long Solomon and Joash ruled and then note how much space is devoted to each. Also note that Omri was important on the international scene, but how is he covered in 1 Kings 16:23-28?
6. Based on your answers to question #5, how were the kings judged—on their political success, their battlefield victories, or . . .? Do modern historians follow this same patter of selecting and interpreting as well as reporting on their subjects?
7. Look at the section of Kings dealing with the two separate kingdoms(1 Kings 12—2 Kings 17). Explain what each of the following portions covers—1 Kings 12:1-16:28, 1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 10:36, and 2 Kings 11-17.
8. Why is more space devoted to Israel than Judah in the history of the divided kingdom(1 Kings 12—2 Kings 17)?
9. Why do you suppose Judah survived longer than its sister kingdom Israel?
10. See the origin of Samaria in 2 Kings 17. How do they Jews appear to feel toward this part of the country and its people?
11. Compare and contrast the two great prophets Elijah and Elisha.
12. There is a persistent story of ten lost tribes of Israel. Read 2 Kings 18 to see if you can see the origin of the story.
13. How does the story here fit the famous statement that “history is the biography of famous men”?
14. Is this a history without hope? Explain.
15. The writer uses dialogue effectively here to explain the characters, to move the story ahead, and to relate theme. Find some places where this happens.
16. Plot conflicts abound in 1 and 2 Kings. One conflict is king vs. prophet. Find examples. Another is Baal vs. God. Find examples of this conflict.

1. Where do you see pro- and anti-monarchy attitudes?
2. Follow the story of David and Jonathan. What seems to be the most important lessons of this account?
3. How does the narrative of the fall of Saul illustrate the differences between other kings in other lands and the idea of kingship in Israel?
4. Is Saul dealt with unfairly? Is he a tragic hero?
5. Like other good pieces of literature this story shows more than it tells. In other words, we see the people do and say things in order to reach conclusions about them rather than have the author directly tell us the characters are good or bad people. Where do you see examples of the story showing rather than telling about the characters in 1 and 2 Samuel?
6. At certain places in the story, the writer shifts from prose to poetry. Look at these two places and see why you think the writer switched to poetry —1 Samuel 15:22-23 and 2 Samuel 1:19-27. See also the beginning and conclusion of these two books—1 Samuel 2:1-10 and 2 Samuel 22:1-23:7.
7. Follow the struggle David had to become king over the entire country. Why did this happen?
8. Another key covenant takes place in 2 Samuel 7. Explain what its contents are.
9. In 2 Samuel 11:20 we see the problems of David. Explain how it illustrates the saying “sin has its consequences.”
10. Much characterization is indirect and uses contrast to point out differences between people. Look at 1 Samuel 13-14 for the way the writer contrasts the actions and comments of Saul and Jonathan.
11. God seems to favor David, who is described as “a man after his own heart.” Why is he so favored? Is it because David lives a perfect life? Explain your answer.
12. How is Absalom shown to be a lot like his father David?
13. Every leader needs a tough assistant to carry out the dirty work. Who provides David with such assistance? Give some examples.
14. David is a man of varied qualities. Where do you see him being faithful? modest? cautious? courageous? vengeful? cruel? crafty? big-hearted? penitent?

Some things to consider as you read this book:

1. We have contrasting couples here–Ruth and Orphah, Boaz and the kinsman. How do they contrast? Name other stories that use this device of contrasting characters.
2. Each chapter makes nice divisions for the plot of the story. Explain.
3. Dialogue can be used effectively in stories to reveal character, move the story ahead, reinforce mood, and introduce themes. Where do you see examples of these?
4. How does this story still resonate with people today even though it was composed so long ago?
5. What themes are seen here about love and religion?
6. Is this a feminist story in any way?
7. Is this a romance? Why or why not?
8. The later genealogy of Jesus mentions both Ruth and Boaz. What does that suggest about the nature of God seen in the Bible?

I have discussed Judges in the past, but now I’d like to see you wrestle with some of the key ideas, people, and culture that each book of the Bible has. Let’s start this series of blogs for the Fall 25 semester by looking at Judges.

1. Check chapters 1 and 2. Then go to the end and read 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25. What phrase is repeated? Does that sound familiar for our world today?
2. Take a look at 2:11-23. What is being said about history here?
3. Chapter 5:1-31 includes a very old poem of victory. How is it different from the story of the same event narrated in the previous chapter? What does that say about the differences between poetry and prose?
4. The book attempts to answer the question of why Israel never fully possessed the land promised to them. What is the book’s answer?
5. Do you see the book as cyclical or a downward spiral?
6. The story of Jephthah is like a Greek tragedy. See what the characteristics of a Greek tragedy are and compare them to this story in Judges.
7. Many see Samson as a representative of all that was wrong with Israel. Explain.

Many of us who pride ourselves on our learning are illiterate in one particular way. We know very little about the Bible, perhaps the most important book of the western world. Does this sound familiar? You decide to read through the entire Bible. Genesis is a great place to start, but somewhere along about Leviticus, feeling frustrated and bored, you give up. For those who feel the entire Bible is overwhelming, what’s needed is a guide to Biblical highlights.

As a college English professor who has taught the Bible as literature, I have had to compile a list of key books and chapters for my students. What follows is such a list, a “best of the best” for you to read.

The first part of the Old Testament contains history in the form of stories. Genesis displays a fascinating collection of people (Genesis 1-4, 6-9, 13, 15-19, 21-22, 24-25, 27-30, 32-33, 37, 39-45). Exodus tells of a miraculous escape from slavery under the leadership of Moses (Exodus 1-17, 19-20).  The Jews, like so many of us, blew many opportunities (Numbers 11-14, 20). Finally, after a long delay, they entered the Promised Land under a fierce general (Joshua 2, 6-8, 24).

Even after gaining a foothold, the Jews had to fight local antagonistic tribes. They turned repeatedly to leaders for help (Judges 4-7, 13-16). In the middle of this fighting came a  love story of a foreigner in the land of the Jews (Ruth). The story of the first Jewish king, who was followed by David’s rise and rule, has fascinated people for centuries (1 Samuel 8-31 and all of 2 Samuel).

Solomon took the kingdom to new heights, but a tragic civil war split the nation. Elijah and Elisha challenged the spiritually bankrupt people who ignored the danger signs until fierce enemies overwhelmed them (1 Kings 1-3, 6, 10, 12, 17-22 and 2 Kings2, 4-6:23, 17-19, 25). However, many later returned to their land where they faced enemies and spiritual neglect (Ezra 3 and  Nehemiah 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 13). The history books end with an amazing escape from sure annihilation (Esther).

The next section of the Old Testament is composed of various poems. We encounter the sufferings of a righteous man (Job 1-14, 38-42). The next book, the Psalms, contains prayers and praises directed to God (Psalms 1, 8, 19, 22, 23, 51, 68, 90, 103, 139). Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are examples of wisdom literature—thoughts on life by wise individuals (Proverbs 1, 4, 10, 31 and all Ecclesiastes). The Song of Solomon is a series of love poems exchanged between a man and a woman (Song of Solomon 2, 4).

The last section of the Old Testament is devoted to the writings of the prophets, who rebuked the Jews and other nations wandering far from God. The most famous and the longest is Isaiah, but others covered similar themes ( Isaiah 6, 25, 36-40, 52-53, 55, Ezekiel 1-4, 37-39, Daniel 7-12). Some of the Bible’s best-known stories are found in two of the prophets (Daniel 1-6 and Jonah).

The New Testament is split into three sections also. The first are the historical books, similar to the initial section in the Old Testament. Three different authors give  overlapping views of the life of Jesus. I suggest reading Luke because it has so much detail and shows Jesus interacting with outcasts—women, children, the poor, the oppressed (all of Matthew, Mark, or Luke). You should also read John for its meditation on the theological significance of Jesus and His divinity (all of John). To complete the history of Jesus and his church, read portions of Acts describing the missionary outreach of the early believers (Acts 1-4, 6-8:3, 9, 15-17, 26-28).

The second section of the New Testament is composed of letters sent by Christian leaders to their churches or to individuals they knew. Start with the longest one that clearly explains salvation and the Christian life (Romans).  Other letters discuss important specific issues—church worship, spiritual gifts and the coming resurrection (1 Corinthians 11-15), salvation by grace rather than works (Galatians), the church and personal relationships (Ephesians), Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4-5), faith (Hebrews 11-12), difficult areas in the Christian life (James), and the importance of obedience and love as characteristics of the Christian (1 John).

The last section of the New Testament is composed of only one book, but what a book it is. Revelation is a visionary roller-coaster ride that has puzzled people for centuries. The ending is comforting for its uplifting vision of God’s triumph and the creation of a new world (Revelation 1, 4-6, 11-13, 17, 19-22).

If you follow the above reading suggestions, you will have worked your way through  important Bible passages in less than 30 hours of total reading time. You may be intrigued enough to go back to see what other treasures await you within its pages.

The Christian church loses something like 75% of all young people after high school. For many of them, they have not heard good answers to their questions. But the answers are available. What can parents and Sunday school teachers do?

But how should Christian teachers and parents go about presenting the truth of Christianity? First, they should start with the basics — what do we believe as Christians? Then, they should answer a key question — why do we believe these things? Finally, they need to cover problems and questions Christians can expect to encounter  in the secular world. Let’s look at these three steps in more detail.

First, Christian kids need to know the basic tenets of the Christian faith. They probably have heard them in bits and pieces throughout their years in Sunday school, but they need to have a coherent presentation of all the major ideas of Christianity — the nature of God, the work of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the organization and historical background of the Bible, life after death, heaven and hell, and the way of salvation. Of course, there are many sources available online that can deliver such major concepts in a clear and organized fashion. You might want to visit https://beyondtm.wordpress.com for lesson plans and to learn ways to help kids understand apologetics topics more.

Secondly, Christian young people need to understand why Christians believe these things. We must demonstrate that there is great evidence for the existence of God, that Jesus really lived and did what the gospels have recorded, that we can trust the Bible’s reliability, that life after death and the existence of the soul are reasonable beliefs, and that Christianity, of all major religions, best corresponds with what we know about the world and the human race.

Third, even if we cover both the what and the why of Christianity, we must still anticipate another key area of concern. Many young people have been confronted by skeptical non-Christians who have stumped them with questions that could have been answered with the right training. Such questions deal with the problem of evil, the nature of miracles, the blight of relativism, and the claims of other religions. The good news is that Christian thinkers over the years have also wrestled with these same questions and have come up with good answers. There is available a great resource list (see the second page of the EFCC Apologetics website). In addition, many good responses are found in the websites and books that follow in the next part of this article.

Most Christians would agree that the above three steps are important, but they might feel inadequate to cover all that territory. But many good websites and books are available to help teachers and parents. Let’s start with websites. Stand to Reason (www.str.org) has terrific resources in areas of ethics, Christianity, and apologetics. Campus Crusade for Christ (www.cru.org) has some material on apologetics. Alpha and Omega Ministries (www.aomin.org) has apologetic helps, information on cults, and further details on defending the faith. Christian Research Institute, where Hank Hanegraaf is the president, has material on cults and Christianity (www.equip.org). For all areas of apologetics, people can use Leadership University (www.leaderu.com). Another good source is Apologetics Information Ministry (www.apologeticsinfo.org), which deals with doctrine, cults, apologetics, and world religions. Parents will gain much from looking at https://mamabearapologetics.com/ and https://christianmomthoughts.com/.

Here are additional useful sites and resources for parents and teachers:

http://www.casemakersacademy.com/?fbclid=IwAR0-wNKF0ePpzF4NwTPTh8woo5IpbIcYqqtm1kYoAR9PJ7Bg4sjJVceLzY4

https://crossexamined.org/apologetics-for-children/?fbclid=IwAR1jRej6C7dsF_nsFvtpK1zuQfQ5poZAXpMUepkXyBDaCCpIK9g2AlklCwk

https://connect.rzim.org/t/apologetics-for-grade-school-children/2219

https://apps.biola.edu/apologetics-store/products/special-discounted-sets-or-combos/item/dr-craig-s-what-is-god-like-children-s-book-collection?fbclid=IwAR19HgWqV-DirWYnYhV19UO5skWEjKr7_Q0NOrB9bcooRPlB1E6daxNaHU8.

There are many good books available for those interested in teaching these three vital areas of the Christian faith. One favorite is Peter Kreeft’s Handbook of Christian Apologetics because it is simple to understand and organized clearly. Others that deserve attention include any by Josh McDowell, Natasha Crain’s Talking with Your Kids About God and Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side, William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith, D. James Kennedy’s Why I Believe, Paul Copan’s True For You, But Not For Me, Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, and Greg Koukl’s three books: Relativism, Tactics and The Story of Reality. Teachers and parents shouldn’t worry about being experts. Instead, they need to realize there are many valuable resources they can use to help provide clear evidence for our faith.

The goal of all this is to create clear-thinking Christian young people who are not afraid to share their faith. They will see that Christianity can hold its own in the marketplace of ideas. We have a faith that is not based on wishful thinking or a leap in the dark. The evidence is there for any who take the time to examine it. Let’s put 1 Peter 3:15 into practice: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Get to know some of the best minds in the field of apologetics, making a case for the truth of Christianity. Most are current while some have passed away. They range from world-class philosophers and thinkers to Internet and radio apologists. But all have made an impact with their works and ministries. They are in alphabetical order. (This is not a comprehensive list; many theologians and church fathers have been left off.)

Click on any link below (name or organization) to find out more.

• Kerby Anderson – Head of Probe ministries
• John Ankerberg – Founder of Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
• Ken Boa – relational evangelism, discipleship, apologetics
• Krista Bontrager – theologian, scholar communications director for Reasons Institute
• Robert Bowman – noted apologetics and theology teacher (Biola)
• Justin Brierley – host of Unbelievable? on Premier Christian Radio, UK
• Charlie Campbell – head of AlwaysBeReady.com
• Alisa (Girard) Childers – blogger, speaker
• Paul Copan – Philosophy and ethics; apologist and author
• William Lane Craig – philosopher, theologian, apologist; debater par excellence
• Natasha Crain – national speaker, author of three books, blogger
• William Dembski – philosopher of science and mathematician; ID theorist
• Lenny Esposito – founder of ComeReason apologetics ministry
• Phil Fernandes – Christian philosopher, apologist, debater with audio resources
• Hillary Morgan Ferrer – founder of Mama Bear Apologetics, author of an upcoming book
• Norman Geisler – prolific author of over 70 books; Classical apologist
• R. Douglas Geivett – Professor of Philosophy Talbot Department of Philosophy / Biola
• Douglas Groothuis – Christian philosopher, author, teacher (blog archives)
• Gary Habermas – the world’s foremost expert on the resurrection of Jesus
• Ken Ham – young Earth creationist involved with Creation Museum.
• Hank Hanegraaff – today’s Bible Answer Man
• Craig Hazen – director of Biola’s Christian Apologetics program
• Timothy Keller – urban pastor, author and apologist
• Greg Koukl – apologist and president of Stand to Reason
• Peter Kreeft – professor of philosophy at Boston College, noted apologist
• John Lennox – philosopher of science, mathematician, Oxford debater of Dawkins
• C.S. Lewis – famous author, lecturer, apologist; Narnia books, Mere Christianity
• Mike Licona – historian and apologist; authority on the resurrection of Jesus
• Paul Little – late apologist and author noted for his simple style and easy communication
• Josh McDowell – famous for Evidence that Demands a Verdict
• Sean McDowell – worldview youth minister / itinerant apologist
• Alex McFarland – itinerant apologist targeting young people, teens
• Alister McGrath – Oxford professor of theology, author and opponent of new atheism
• J.P. Moreland – Christian philosopher, noted author, apologist
• David Noebel – founder of Summit Ministries and worldview apologist
• Holly Ordway – author, professor of English and member of faculty for online M.A. in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University
• Amy Orr-Ewing – senior vice president with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, joint director of Oxford Centre for Christian apologetics, speaker
• Nancy Pearcey – called “America’s preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual,” author, professor at Houston Baptist University
• Alvin Plantinga – world-class philosopher; reformed epistemology, philosophy of religion
• Doug Powell – excellent multimedia apologist at SelflessDefense
• Ron Rhodes – author and apologist founder of Reasoning from the Scriptures
• Mark D. Roberts – pastor, author, speaker, blogger. Emphasis in NT / Gospels
• Mary Jo Sharp – speaker, author, professor at Houston Baptist University
• Hugh Ross – astrophysicist apologist and old Earth creationist; founder Reasons to Believe
• Matt Slick – founder of CARM.org with extensive apologetics encyclopedia
• R.C. Sproul – notable theologian, author, and classical apologist
• Laurie Stewart – attorney, event speaker, founder of Intelligent Faith
• Lee Strobel – journalist famous for his Case for Christ series of books; popular apologist
• Melissa Cain Travis – author, professor of Christian apologetics at Houston Baptist University
• Frank Turek – itinerant apologist and founder of CrossExamined; debated Hitchens
• J. Warner Wallace – cold case detective, pastor, and apologist with extensive web site
• James White – theologian, author, prolific debater, and reformed apologist
• Dallas Willard – Christian philosopher; notable works in philosophy, discipleship
• N.T. Wright – retired Bishop of Durham; notable work on the resurrection

Joshua begins where Deuteronomy leaves off with the Israelites east of the Jordan River ready to enter their promised land. Here are some questions to consider as you read it:

1.We see terrible pictures of war here. Which were the most horrifying to you? Is this genocide?

2. Spies are sent to Jericho. Do you see their activity as showing lack of faith or are they being practical?

3. The battle for Ai is far different than the one for Jericho–explain.

4. We see in chapter 9 that deception and camouflage go way back in history–explain.

5. Good literature can reveal character by the words he/she speaks. What sort of person does Caleb seem to be, based on his comments in chapter 14?

6. Is Joshua presented as another Moses?